


Dumb and Deaf

by rvst



Series: FemTropeBingo 2015 [2]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: F/F, Trope: Fusion, femtropebingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 00:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3361787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rvst/pseuds/rvst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura swore creatively in her head at the size of the Shatterdome. The massive size of the base was keeping her from her potentially dead lovers, it deserved all the cursing it got and then some more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dumb and Deaf

There were no two ways around it, Starlight Seduction lost a leg.

 

The behemoth took out both of its targets, and its pilots were more than due for their yearly pile of medals. Each great achievements that were sure to be rewarded in all sorts of fun ways, but the fact remained:

 

Laura's girlfriends broke their Jaeger.

 

Starlight Seduction collapsed in its repair bay, despite using its irregularly long arms to drag itself inside the range of the assisting transport eventually that strength had to dissipate. Laura didn't immediately leave her reporting station, she had to inform the world of another kill credited to Starlight Seduction. If they were seriously injured, Perry would have called her, which she hadn't, so Laura didn't panic. She could see Starlight Seduction on one of the nearly ubiquitous video monitors around the Shatterdome, medical staff crowded around it but no one was rushing.

 

They were okay. Laura glared at her fellow journalists, they continued to stare at her the same way they always did when Starlight Seduction was deployed. Like they pitied her. One of the kinder starers broke off the perpetual pity for a few minutes to make Laura a mug of hot cocoa when the towering Jaeger lost its left leg. A nice gesture, the mug sat untouched as she couldn't pull in her worry and drink at the same time.

 

Her eyes scanned her report, scouring it for any unprofessional embellishments about Starlight Seduction's pilots, she'd been pulled up by her boss for getting overly flattering in the past. She defended herself admirably, providing him with many gorgeous pictures of Danny and Carmilla to explain how a little flattery was absolutely necessary when faced with the pair of them. He wasn't especially understanding of her troubles.

 

Laura emailed her final draft to her superior and carefully stacked the papers spread out on her desk. Behind her several of her co-workers places various amounts of cash on the desk they congregated around whenever Starlight Seduction was sent out. All work in the reporting station halted the moment their tiny co-worker's girlfriends were plunged into danger. Cruelly, the crowd of people slacking off to watch Laura only grew whenever they got into real trouble.

 

Little Hollis would unknowingly stop breathing for minutes at a time when the real time feeds came in, she bit her lip constantly and had developed the nervous habit of stirring her untouched mug of cocoa with one of her pens. The staff were divided on how aware Hollis was of her own actions, but the overwhelming majority of them went to their beds each night thanking the stars that they weren't dating one of the mad Jaeger pilots, let alone two of them.

 

While slowly packing her bag, a half-hearted attempt to seem unaffected, Laura kept one eye on Starlight Seduction, noting with mounting worry that the medical staff hadn't yet dispersed and that Danny's bright red hair wasn't visible. Her heart kicked against her ribs, countless scenarios playing through her mind, each worse than the last.

 

Laura spent a full thirty seconds trying to reign in her own racing heart. She tried not to picture Perry walking into the reporting station, her face grim but determined to deliver her news in person. Laura fought against her own mind's suggestion that perhaps the medical teams weren't rushing to rescue Danny and Carmilla from the cockpit because there weren't lives to be saved. It was nearly impossible to become disconnected from the medical monitors all Jaeger pilots had in their suits, so if their vital signs disappeared, there really was only one possibility.

 

The staff photographer whooped as Laura gave up on appearing calm in favour of dashing out of the room. He collected his winnings from the desk and slapped his grumbling co-workers on the back in commiseration.

 

* * *

 

 

Laura swore creatively in her head at the size of the Shatterdome. The massive size of the base was keeping her from her potentially dead lovers, it deserved all the cursing it got and then some more. She pushed people out of her way, taking care that they were civilian workers, she didn't need Marshal Hollis publicly dressing her down again. Twice was enough and it would be nearly impossible to stop Danny and maybe Carmilla from charging his stage and decking their superior officer. They were already given the most dangerous targets, such as the ones capable separating the tallest Jaeger in history from its left leg, and Laura didn't have the strength find out just how much worse he could make it for them.

 

Her phone rang, stopping her just inches away from crashing into the officer that had thus far filed two complaints against Laura for her panicked running around. She pulled it from her pocket, holding it face down like that would make it bring her good news instead of 'you woke up with two girlfriends and now you have none' news.

 

Perry's disapproving face glared up at her. Her heart jumped, her breath hitched and she had to lean up against the wall for support. Insanely she fleetingly remembered Carmilla messing with it over breakfast that morning, and made a mental note to flick her stupid Eastern European nose. God, she wished she would have the chance to do that, Danny would point and mock as she revelled in not being the one in trouble with Laura.

 

Laura pressed the 'Accept' icon and frowned at her own shaking hand as she raised it to her ear.

 

“Hollis.”

 

“Get down here,” Perry started. Laura's heart leaped into her throat. Perry must have heard her gasp. “They're alive, I am going to kill them, but they're alive.”

 

Then she hung up. Laura silently sent her a thousand thanks, her breathing returned to normal and the set off at a slightly calmer pace. She was still running but the wild, desperate look in her eyes was gone and she took the time to weave around people rather than barrelling through them.

 

Laura arrived just in time for the cockpit to be opened. There was a crew of engineers standing on either side of it and a massive cutting tool being carefully packed away. The doors looked like they'd been cut away in chunks and the automated system sat on a rolling workbench as three people worked on it. She spotted Perry standing next to the portable radio system.

 

Perry smiled sympathetically at her as she approached. “They claim to be fine, and their vitals suggest that they might not be lying this time.”

 

Laura nervously laughed, the memory of Danny claiming to be fine while impaled on a thin steel pipe rose to her mind. Carmilla had been most pleased to be the good girlfriend for once, the one who Laura didn't yell at for being ridiculous. There was a full three-hour tag-team lecture at the foot of Danny's hospital bed as Perry monitored her while Laura paced. Carmilla masked her worry with flicking peas at Danny's head while the redhead couldn't fight back.

 

“So Carmilla's missing a hand and Danny's a paraplegic, but they're hiding it really well,” ventured Laura, trying to relieve some of her excess stress and worry though humour. Perry reached out to rub her shoulder in sympathy.

 

“Only if you're lucky, they shut off their radios, which is why I called you,” Perry explained. “Diagnostics show that it's totally safe to go in there. And if they aren't talking to us then,” she trailed off.

 

“Then they're in pain and are being prideful idiots again,” groaned Laura. She took a steadying breath and stepped inside.

 

She immediately figured out the problem, they were arguing. Of course they were arguing. The only time they weren't arguing was when they were doing their best to get themselves in even more trouble than usual with Laura's father. They even found things to disagree about during sex. Laura honestly had no clue how they could possibly be drift compatible, but the drift worked and here were her international hero girlfriends and they were arguing.

 

"You stupid motherfucker!" That was Danny, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Get over here so I can kick your tiny pale ass!"

 

Laura sighed. This was going to be an excellent day in her life.

 

Carmilla let out a string of words so foul that Laura blushed and came to a complete halt. Neither of them sounded panicked, or in a lot of pain. Laura didn't give staying out of their sight a little longer a second thought.

 

"Do not come crawling to me when Laura finds out about this," Danny called at a more reasonable level. Laura questioned why she would have to yell while they were still strapped in so close they could reach out and touch each other. Carmilla's huffing breaths echoed off the metal walls of Starlight Seduction's head, like she was struggling to breathe properly.

 

"Did you yell that?" Carmilla asked, her voice also suspiciously loud. Laura's heart charged away from her again. "Fuck, you're totally yelling, aren't you?"

 

Laura surged forward at the self-destructive tone Carmilla took. She had more than enough experience with the woman to let such a sudden shift for the worse to go unheeded and more importantly, to leave it without address.

 

"I'll tell you if you tell me my foot's moving," Danny offered with her voice remaining raised. Laura stopped again, dropping down below a monitoring module, and peering around the corner.

 

Amid the various broken parts and assorted metal scraps, her girlfriends lay beside each other. Carmilla's smaller body was curled towards Danny while the other woman stretched out on her back. They were both still hooked up to the monitoring equipment and seemed at least to Laura's untrained eyes to be relatively okay.

 

Danny's foot wasn't moving, though.

 

Carmilla rubbed at one of her ears.

 

"Damn," Carmilla sighed. She covered her face with both hands while Danny reached out to grab one. Their fingers interlaced without a battle. Laura was struck by how peaceful they seemed post-mission. Normally, there would be blood and angry screaming and Laura trying not to cry and her father threatening to send them to the bottom of the ocean.

 

"Think Laura's salary can support all three of us?" Danny wondered. Carmilla's disdainful bark of laughter wasn't encouraging and Danny made a clearly massive effort to sit up for a better look at her girlfriend's face. "Hey, you know this is entirely the big scary monster's fault, right?"

 

"Oh I know," Carmilla snapped. Danny did her kicked puppy impression. "But it has happened nonetheless, Cliff, and we have to deal with the very real possibility that we're about to be kicked out of our home."

 

Laura's heart sank into her shoes. "Where are you going?"

 

Carmilla sat up so fast a loose piece of equipment went flying from her chest. Laura's sudden outburst was accompanied nicely by her rapid approach, sliding on her knees to come to a stop next to Carmilla.

 

"Hi," Danny greeted lamely, raising a hand to wave before shaking herself of the daze. "What are you doing in here? She's damaged, and could fall apart at any-"

 

"Really?" Laura shut her up effectively. Carmilla didn't grin or smile or smirk. Laura worried just that tiny bit harder. "What the fuck happened?"

 

They shared that look. The one that made Laura believe in their drift compatibility. It let them stare long at all of life's decisions and somehow come out the other side on the exact same page. Even if the decision was like, 'War and Peace' level of pages.

 

"Oh no! None of that crap, you will tell me what happened and you won't do the brain link thing to cheat and lie, again," she dealt the low blow with a level voice filled with seething wrath. Her idiots went bright red at the idea of the last time they'd tried to hide something from her.

 

"We lost a leg," Carmilla said plainly. Laura wanted to yell at her a bit, frustration winning out for a moment.

 

"It's moderately concerning," Danny added. She poked her left leg and frowned when nothing happened. Carmilla went back to rubbing her ears. Laura delighted in seeing both of Carmilla's feet moving back and forth in a nervous tic she'd developed during childhood.

 

"We also got hit in the head really weird," Carmilla continued, glaring at where Starlight Seduction's ear would be if the giant robot had one.

 

"And your dad finally has a reason to kick us off the base for good," Danny grumbled.

 

"Which means our relationship will be tested by not only your father, but distance and strongly conflicting work schedules," Carmilla threw herself back on the ground.

 

"Inevitably leading to you dumping us, again," Danny concluded.

 

Laura blinked.

 

Danny joined Carmilla on the ground.

 

Laura blinked.

 

Carmilla's eyes started to shine, though she glared at the ceiling until it stopped.

 

Laura exploded. Internally. Neither of them needed her screaming.

 

"Later, when Perry's done with you both," they both paled so fast Laura thought they might faint, "I am going to calmly go through why that was the stupidest collection of words you have ever put together."

 

"Laur-"

 

"Quiet, you've both said enough for now." Carmilla shut right up immediately. Tranquil fury was unsettling at best on Laura. "I will be channeling the sudden surge of angry energy I have directly at my father. You two stay here and cooperate with the medical teams."

 

Laura stood to leave, satisfied that they would allow Perry to work on them and the work to start on repairing Starlight Seduction. Carmilla and Danny followed her with intense stares. She ignored them, though she did hear the opening volleys of the post-mission argument part two.

 

"Does that mean she's keeping us or-?"

 

"It means we should stop talking about it five minutes ago, dumbass," Carmilla shouted, though she evidently didn't mean to as she cursed herself seconds later.

 

"I am not! You have spent days inside my head! You know-"

 

Laura let them fade into the distance.

 

They were not fine, but they were okay. Laura left, giving Perry a wave as she stormed out.

 

Her to-do list was two items long:

 

First: Relieve the staff photographer of his profits.

 

Second: Yell at Dad.

 

The anger and worry and stress drifted away to the sweet sound of Perry's screaming voice echoing throughout the halls.

 


End file.
